Atheist Ireland is seeking your help today to launch and shape a new long-term campaign with two important aims: to repeal the new Irish blasphemy law and to attain a secular Irish Constitution. Specifically, we are asking you to do three things: send us a message of support, get actively involved in shaping this project, and lobby to persuade Irish politicians to pursue these policies.

We will soon be holding public meetings around Ireland to launch this campaign. We want it to include religious and nonreligious people working together, within Ireland and with international support. The campaign has one common aim that transcends any other differences we may have: that all Irish citizens, of all beliefs and none, can live together in equality, with the State being neutral on matters of religion.

If you’re interested in learning about how you can help, check out their website. If you live in Ireland, I’ll glare at you unless you volunteer to help overturn this travesty of a law. (Yep. You’re trembling in your boots. I know it.)

I do hope they repeal the blasphemy law, but I think it’s more important to change the people’s attitude. We have a blasphemy law here, and it has been used in the past, but in the last few years the church (the lutheran Church of Iceland) seems to have realized that trying to get people thrown in jail for ‘blasphemy’ just makes them look silly to the majority of the population.

In 1997 an Icelandic comedy troupe put on an Easter Special on national TV. That included sketches like Jesus helping a blind man get Vision (‘Vision’ being an Icelandic cable channel), the last supper (Judas has to pay because he’s the only one with money), et.c. It was fairly tame, but the then bishop of Iceland pressed charges. He also threatened to press charges if the TV station were to show The Last Temptation of Christ as planned. The former case was dropped after the police questioned the comedians, but the TV station buckled under the pressure and dropped ‘Temptation’.

This silliness was the last time (as far as I know) that any attempt was made to prosecute for blasphemy here – trust me, it’s not because people have stopped ‘blaspheming’. The last actual conviction was in 1984.

Shannon

Totally OT, but I really wonder if people who protest The Last Temptation of Christ have actually read or seen it? If you follow through the story to the end, it’s actually very Jesus positive. I’m surprised more Christians don’t like it.

Shannon, I agree. I’m an atheist but I love the movie and have seen it more than a couple times. 🙂 But I guess the controversy is that Jesus would never dare to have a moment of weakness. He would never get lost in thought for even a second because blah blah blah yawn. I don’t think Christians realize that a truly human Jesus who still sacrifices himself is a more powerful symbol than one who is perfect in all ways at all times. It’s basic storytelling, I tell ya! 🙂